Method of making one-piece metal buttons



Jan; 19 ,1926.

l I L T. ABEL M THOD QF MAKING ONE PIECE METAL BUTTONS 4 ZZ 74k I3 .i 0 I?, g f v 7,6 filh /z v *M f'n"` 7 /7 I 11:5- A I Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATESI VliLIf-IIEB.fr,4 ABEL, or WATERBURY, ConNECnCUr, AssleNQn 'ro THE ramnnrum'ron PATENT CFI-"lee,

` Coirr'A'NY, o'F WATEBB'URY, CoNNECrICur, A ConPonA'rIoN or CCNNECTICUT.

ErHon F MAKING-i oNE-HrcE'Mri'rAr; BUTTON'SQ Application meaocto'ber 2a, 1aed. srfiai No; 745,#'25

Y specification.

My invention relates to a method of niek# inga one-piece metal button. TheV object of my invention is to provide a method of forming a one-piece metal button by the combined heading and eXtruding process and to produce by such process a button which will be of any desired or irregular configuration and will`- bear thereon any' suitable inscription ory ornamentation, and, furthermore', the head1y of the" button will be V entirely free' of any` bur or iin;

Heretoore vthe objection to formingy a button by a `heading process" wasA noty only dueto the presenceo a bur or fin resulting from such process, but was also due tothe diiiculty in makingv suitable provisionV `for the metal which must be displaced4 from one end' of the blankl so ajs to form 'ahollow hub. By my novel method, I haveovercome these objections` and difficulties by causing apportionY of the metal whichy is located at one end of the blank to flowl up into the' head forming portion or opposite end* of' the blank when the latter is containedV within a closedl and head-forming die chamber. A hollow hub is accordingly produced; and, further, the' metal `by flowingv into' the yheadorming die chamber when the latter is closed roduces a button head which is entirely ree of any-bur or iin. l

A.' i`urthery objectis to provide a novel heading process for the formation ot a onepiec'e button whichfrincludes the use of two dies, which when brought together form a chamber of the size and' shape of'l the desired button, and a third extr'uding or" plunger die'whch is adapted to act upon the rodlike blank which is contained withinthe die chamber and expandy it to completely iill the die cha'rriber and: thereby produce' a i onepiece button, thef thirdI or e-Xtruding die not acting the iirst two dies have been v brought together.

With thel` View, myirlliterfolsistsih the iprved. method" of forming-ia" one-piece metalivbutl ton illustrated (in the accompanying drawingsv and hereinafter described and' claimed and in' varit'ti'on's'`v and Indificatipiis thereof as' will be'v obvioustothose skilled; in the art to invention relates',A being understoodthat changes-may be madey within the` sc'ope of what isfclaime'd without departing fr orn the thereof;

The preferred embodiment of invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure isa view in elevation ofthe first sta e blank;

iguie Qis a view' in: section of ay second stage blank or partially formed button;`

Figure@ is a sectional View oftheV completed button;l l p ,y

Figurefi is a viewjirirlongitudinal section of the dies and supplementary mecha'fnis'm fory transforming the first-stage blank into trated'y in their separated or ope'nposition;

Flauw ,5 isa Similar View ShowingY the die blocks having been forced,l together but prior y to the movement of the extruding similary article consis'ts" in cuttingk to the proper length. rod: .like bank, ais. illustrated in Figure l' and the usual mechanisms employed in heading machines; moving it I into the die chambersof the die blocksl illustratedl in Figure 4; The die blocks il lustrated'linFigure 4L' consistA of the stationary block'l() having thechamber or cavity' 1]: therein, `the sangreY beingcharacterized by rducedio `hub".fif'mg portion ,12

andan enlargedl and head forming portion 13, and a second and movable die block 14 which is provided with the head forming cavity or chamber 15 which is adapted when the dies are together to register and form a smooth continuation of the head forming cavity 13 of the die block 10. The die block is illustrated as being moved by a cam 16. This mechanism, however, may be modified or varied in any way so as to produce the required movement of the die block 14, as l do not wish to limit myself to the use of a cam to accomplish the same.

The die block 10 is provided with a longitudinal bore or opening A, which communicates with but is relatively smaller in diameter than the chamber 12 and in which opening or bore A extends a plunger or cXtruding die 17. This plunger or extruding die is controlled in its movements by z; cam 18, although here again it is to be understood that other mechanisms such as a crank arm and suitable linkage may be employed to produce the desired motion and timing of the extruding die or plunger 17. rllhe cams 16 and 18 are connected through suitable gearing (not shown) whereby the movable die block 14 will approach and contact with the die block 10, and will, for a small interval of time, remain lixed in such position, at and during which time the extruding die or plunger 17 will be .forced rapidly forward and then withdrawn by a spring 17 or other suitable device.

lVith the mechanism as thus arranged, the blank of Figure 1 is moved into the space between the die blocks 10 and 14 and occupies a position as illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 4. The blank of Figure 1 contains a predetermined amount of metal so that as the heading die 14 approaches and contacts with the stationary die 10, the metal of the blank will be forced into the button forming cavity 12, 13 and 15., and will produce the partially formed button or blank 19 as illustrated in Figure 5. The amount of work done by the moving die block 14 depends entirely upon the configuration and shape of the button. ln some instances the greater portion of the heading will be accomplished by the moving die block 14 and in other instances the blank will not be in any way affected as the metal to be eX- .ruded or forced from the hub portion of the blank will be suiiicient to form the entire head. ln either instance the head forniing cavity 13, 15, will be characterized by smooth and continuous side walls prior to the forming of the head of the button.

`With the dies 10 and 14 together as illustrated in Figure 5, a plunger or eX- truding die 17 under the action of the cani 18 is moved rapidly forward and forces itself into the metal of the blank and produces a cavity 20 therein. As the plunger forces its way-into the blank and produces the cavity 20, the metal is displaced and caused to flow up into the front or head forming portion of the blank, and at which place it expands so as to completely fill the head forming chamber 13, 15. blocks being rigidly held together by the cam 16 prevent any metal of the head of the button being forced between the contacting and confronting surfaces of the die block so that a one-piece button, composed of a hollow hub and an enlarged head, is formed and will be completely free of any burs or fins. Advantage is taken of the fact that a button is desired having a hollow hub and the displaced metal is utilized to form a head having any desired conliguration.

rEhe second stage blank .as thus formed and as illustrated in Figure 6 is then subjected tothe action of a second set of dies as illustrated in Figure 7. rlhese dies include the head receiving block 21 and the hub receiving block 22, the latter being formed with an inwardly tapering cavity 28, the side walls of which are adapted to contact with the end of the hollow hub, and inwardly turn or taper the walls of the hub so as to form the completed button as illustrated in Figure 3. f

My improved method is particularly important in the formation of a button hav- The die ing an irregularly shaped head, as Vwithv this style of button it is practically impossible to remove a lin or feathered edge were it to occur around the head of the button and as would be produced by the ordinary heading process. While I am aware that it is old to provide a heading process for forming buttons yet such processes have always resulted in the formation of a feathered edge and have not utilized the metal which normally resides in the hub forming portion of the blank in the manner described above. 1n my novel process I displace the metal from the one end of the blank and thereby form a hollow hub and at the same time cause this metal to flow into the opposite end of the blank and completely fill a closed die chamber, and thereby form the button head.

Having thus described my invention what l claim is l. rihe method of forming an article comprising a head and a hollow shank consisting in subjecting a rod-like blank to the action of heading` dies and only partially forming the head and subjecting the shank portion of the blank to the action of a plunger while the heading dies are closed and displacing the metal from the center of the shank and causing it to flow into the head to thereby complete the head.

2. rllhe method of forming an article comprising a head and a hollow shank consisting in subjecting a rod-like blank to the 'action of'heading dies and only partially the hollow hub to the action of a closing forming the head, and subjecting the shank die thereby contracting the outermost end portion of the blank to the action of a of said hub. 10 plunger While the heading dies are closed Signed at aterbury in the county of 5 and displacing the metal from the center of New Haven and State of Connecticut this the shank and causing it to flow into the 17th day of October A. D. 1924. head to complete the same and subjecting WALTER T. ABEL. 

